Kneaded food molding apparatus of the rotary type

Abstract

A kneaded food molding apparatus of the rotary type comprising a rotary plate to which a plurality of molding devices are attached, a stationary shaft to which the rotary plate is secured in a manner rotatable around the center of the rotary plate, a drive mechanism for intermittently rotating the rotary plate, and an actuating mechanism for actuating the molding device, the actuating mechanism being mounted to a fan-shape support plate located above the rotary plate and secured to the stationary shaft. According to the intermittent rotation of the rotary plate, the actuating mechanism actuates the molding device to automatically and continuously mold kneading food, such as hamburgers or croquettes, without lack or sticking of portions of the kneaded food to the molding device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A kneaded food molding apparatus of the rotary type comprising: at least one molding means each of which includes a cylindrical hollow mold member with an inner surface, a hollow intermediate cylindrical member with an outer and inner surface slidably fitted into the hollow portion of said hollow mold member such that said outer surface of said intermediate member is in contact with said inner surface of said hollow mold member, said intermediate member having in said inner surface thereof at least one longitudinal groove, and a round actuating shaft member slidably fitted into the hollow portion of said intermediate cylindrical member, having attached thereon a first actuating mechanism;   a rotary plate having in the peripheral portion thereof a plurality of holes for mounting said at least one molding means;   a stationary shaft having a cylindrical rotary shaft supported by bearing means fitted on said stationary shaft for supporting said rotary plate in a manner such that said plate is rotatable around a center of said rotary plate; and   a support member having a second actuating mechanism for actuating said intermediate cylindrical member and said actuating shaft member of said molding means by rotation of said rotary plate, said support member being located above said rotary plate and secured to said stationary shaft.   
     
     
       2. A kneaded food molding apparatus of the rotary type as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first actuating mechanism includes a U-shape bracket and engagement rollers rotatably disposed in a facing relationship inside each upper portion of said U-shape bracket, and said second actuating mechanism includes a thickness adjusting stopper, an upper guide plate and a lower guide plate both for guiding said engagement rollers, a push-down roller, a push-down maintaining plate and a molded food extruding means, whereby when said rotary plate is in a stopped state, pressure of kneaded food supplied into said cylindrical hollow mold member of one of said molding means pushes said hollow intermediate cylindrical member and said actuating shaft member of said one molding means upward until they come in contact with said thickness adjusting stopper and as said rotary plate rotates in a predetermined direction, said engagement rollers are pushed down by said upper guide plate, thereby lowering said intermediate cylindrical member and said actuating shaft member so as to push said kneaded food downward from said one molding means, said engagement rollers being lifted up by said lower guide plate to lift up said actuating shaft member, while said push-down roller and push-down maintaining plate prevent said intermediate cylindrical member from being lifted up, thereby sucking air through said at least one longitudinal groove in the inner surface of said intermediate cylindrical member such that when said one molding member is positioned under said molded food extruding means, said rotary plate stops rotating and said molded food extruding means strikes said actuating shaft member downward to lower said actuating shaft member to compress said air and extrude the molded food downward.